Wednesday, April 30, 2014

I've woken up every morning for the last 4 days to that Milli Vanilli tune in my head, followed by TLC's Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls. Other than a water theme, I'm not sure what these songs have in common. I have no control over how my brain maps stuff out, I just go with it.

And then I make my way to the bathroom, because...ya know. TMI

6 straight days of rain. Day 4, as I mentioned. April showers and all that jazz. I actually really like rain. Downpours, even. I prefer them on muggy, summer days, with a little thunder on the side. I like to imagine myself alone, in the middle of nowhere, with my arms up and my face skyward, letting the heavenly showers wash away all my indiscretions. This has never happened in real life. It plays out in my head, like a movie. Rain often gets me in a deep, dark, spiritual mood...in a mostly good way.

And then around day 4 (today), I'm over it. Instead of wasting my time wishing for sunshine that will not appear for another several days, I create my own. I go shopping. And just to screw with weather-psyche, I shop for rain boots. 6pm has some pretty good deals.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Here it is - my Old Navy petite wrap dress, in the flesh. I've worn it twice already, which is a sign that I really like it. Reviews suggest that it runs a bit tight in the arms - I agree, but they seem to loosen with wear. It also requires a moderate amount of boobage. Allow me to divert for a moment to share the Urban Dictionary definition of boobage:

boobage: "The noticeable presence of breasts. Could be because of the size, exposed cleavage or large number of noticeable breasts in a particular place. The truth is, of course that all boobs rule, (well, not man-boobs); be they big, small, fake or strangely shaped. The world would be a better place if all girls embraced their boobage. Set them free ladies. Set them free."

Hilarious. I could seriously browse the Urban Dictionary all day long.

Back to the dress. Somehow, the model is modestly withholding a camisole. I wouldn't recommend it, but hey, your boobage is your business (sorry, had to sneak it in one more time). The fabric is also pretty thin, so best to add a layer underneath. I get tunic tanks at H&M for less than $10 - they make great slips and come in a bunch of colors. If you want something more substantial, try M. Rena dresses (Shop Adorn online, also available at Sisu). They're reversible - V neck on one side, scoop on the other. They're comfy, wash well, and don't roll up.

I'm going to get a lot of use out of this thing. It's easy to dress up or wear casually. I even successfully wore a wrap dress as a skirt once, don't think I won't do it again. Someday, when I'm rich and locally famous, I'm going to own a Diane von Furstenburg wrap dress. I just decided this, just now. Do not click on this link unless you have something to wipe up your drool and/or a few hundos to spare.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Turns out, midi dresses bother me (on me) almost as much as maxi dresses. Or maybe it's just the shape of this one. If it had been tapered all the way down like the picture on the website, I might've liked it better. Doh! I'm getting ahead of myself...

Time to talk about the items I received from Rose Wholesale. Pieces included the skirt worn here, the dress shown above, and a pair of leggings that I cannot wear. The folks at Rose Wholesale were kind enough to let me make my own suggestions on what I would get. There's a lot on the site, and it was fun to sift through. The prices are incredibly low, even when buying a single piece vs. bulk wholesale.

It took a long time for the things to arrive - well over a month. Not sure if that's an overseas shipping thing or a swag delay thing. Just when I thought I'd been bamboozled, heavenly MAIL! Golly, I love good mail.

I excitedly ripped open the package, and was instantly very confused. I remembered what these pieces looked like online, and what I'd received was vastly different. This skirt online had muted colors, a wider waistband, and appeared a crisper fabric. I like what I got, and maybe even prefer the brighter, cheesier print. Unfortunately, the lack of quality is apparent and it may not hold up more than a few wears.

The dress online was tapered - a midi, body-con style - but as you can see in the photo above, it's more of an A-line. The leggings online represent a funky, multi-texture pattern - vegan leather moto style. What came was a see-through thin, cotton legging with pleather patches awkwardly placed on the front. Even if they did look good, the fit is pretty terrible.

Bottom line: you get what you pay for. Thankfully, these items cost me nothing. If I were to buy from Rose Wholesale, I would be very conscious of timing, material, returnability, and cost (should something need to be tailored properly). Could it be an inexpensive way to test out trends? Yeah, sure, maybe. Just keep expectations extra low.

As for footwear, I love my collection of little Ked-like tennies. I don't prefer to spend a lot of money on them (see: Ked like - though I could seriously die over their polka dot collection - gah!) because I don't want to care if they only last one season. Wear them out and replace. Be able to afford multiples - one in every print, please. A set for every pair of overalls I intend to own.

These cuties from Go Jane are $12.50, plus 25% off through tomorrow with code APRIL25R.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

The stylish event will be a mix of fashion and philanthropy, featuring world-class style with a hometown focus. WINGs Flight of Fashion will be produced by Minneapolis-based style expert Grant Whittaker, who will also emcee the show with Allison Kaplan fromMPLS St. Paul Magazine.

Proceeds of the event will go to the WINGs program which is committed to investing in women and their families to help them establish financial stability to overcome poverty. The groups’ motto is “helping the community and your career take flight.”

This year’s event will include a raffle drawing, with one winner receiving a VIP “Glamazon” day, to include being escorted to various boutiques in a Tesla Model S for a day of shopping and styling with Grant Whittaker. Also featured at the event will be a hashtag campaign, where attendees are invited to submit a “selfie” with the hashtags #TakeFlight14 and #selfie, for inclusion in a drawing to win a Juut Salonspa prize basket ($250 value).

An additional raffle prize will include an in-home fashion consulting session from a representativeof Corset Styling and Fashion Boutique.

About Me

"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string."-Anne Shirley, Anne of Avonlea